Marking the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Written by Jenna Robar, Manager of Indigenous Relationships

The Indian Residential School Survivors Society is available to survivors and their families at any time. Please call 1-800-721-0066 or 1-866-925-4419 to access the 24-7 crisis line. You can find additional support via the First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness Helpline at 1-855-242-3310. First Nations, Inuit, and Metis youth can text 686868 to access Indigenous volunteer crisis responders (via Crisis Text Line powered by Kids Help Phone), and adults can access this same service by texting 741741.  

The origins of Orange Shirt Day

In 2013, Phyllis Webstad and others founded Orange Shirt Day (September 30) in recognition of generational harm to Indigenous children and their families caused by the Indian Residential School system. Phyllis wore a new orange shirt on her first day at St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School, only to have it taken from her when the staff stripped her upon arrival. This colour reminds her of that day and has become a symbol of the residential school system. Wearing an orange shirt is a way to remember and honour the children who went to these institutions: Those who returned and those who did not.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) concluded that residential schools were “a systematic, government-sponsored attempt to destroy Aboriginal cultures and languages and to assimilate Aboriginal peoples so that they no longer existed as distinct peoples.” The TRC characterized this intent as cultural genocide.

From the 1831 opening of the Mohawk Indian Residential School in Brantford, Ontario, until today, Indigenous child apprehension and assimilations continue. Post-residential institution apprehension systems include the Sixties Scoop, incarceration, the Adopt Indian and Métis (AIM) program, and the child welfare system.

In 2021, the federal government announced that September 30 would also be a National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. This day was designated to honour the lost children and survivors of residential schools, their families and communities. We are reminded that authentic commemorations and genuine actions are central to reconciliation.

Marking September 30 in a meaningful way

As we reflect on the two years since the remains of 215 children were recovered at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School on Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation territory, we recognize that many nations continue to search for their young ones who did not return home.  While the recoveries at Kamloops may have been shocking for some, it corresponds with the experiences and stories that Survivors of this system have been telling us for many years. The TRC has recorded many of these stories during their inquiry and interview processes.

As these recoveries continue, the YMCA of Greater Toronto remains committed to taking an anti-colonial approach to reconciliation as outlined in our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging strategy. We continue to follow the guidance of our Indigenous colleagues and will mark this day in 2023 by amplifying Indigenous voices and events. We’ve included some below.

Please join us as we continue to listen, learn, reflect, and act individually and as a charity to deepen our understanding of our shared histories, our obligations as treaty people, and how non-Indigenous folks can take direct actions on a path toward reconciliation.

Resources

Please note that some of these resources contain disturbing content. If needed, the Indian Residential School Survivors Society is available to survivors and their families at any time. Please call 1-800-721-0066 or 1-866-925-4419 to access the 24-7 crisis line. Additional support can be found via the First Nations and Inuit  Hope for Wellness Helpline at 1-855-242-3310. First Nations, Inuit, and Metis youth can text 686868 for access to Indigenous volunteer crisis responders (via Crisis Text Line powered by Kids Help Phone), and adults can access this same service by texting 741741.  

Poetry

Once We Were Many. A short, animated poem by Dennis Saddleman.

Websites 

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)

Indigenous Watchdog’s Progress Report on the TRC’s 94 Calls to Action

Witness Blanket Project

Podcasts 

Stolen by investigative journalist Connie Walker.

Videos

Residential Schools Reckoning: Lessons from the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. As Indigenous communities decide if and how they will recover the remains of the children who were lost at residential schools across Canada, this CBC video looks to the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota for advice on what that process could look like. (8-minute run time)

Lillian Elias: A Residential School Survivor's Story. In this Historica Canada video, Elias shares how she helped many Inuvialuit grow up with a better understanding of their language, who they are, and where they come from. (2-minute run time)

Honour Song by Jeremy Dutcher. Dutcher is a classically trained Indigenous tenor, composer, musicologist, performer, and activist. (5-minute run time)

The Honourable Murray Sinclair’s statement on discovery at Kamloops residential schools  Sinclair was the chairman of the TRC. He is also a former member of the Senate of Canada and a retired lawyer and judge. (10-minute run time)

Films

We Were Children. Warning: This film contains disturbing content and is recommended for audiences ages 16 and older. Parental discretion or watching this film within a group setting is strongly advised. As young children, Lyna and Glen were taken from their homes and placed in church-run boarding schools, where they suffered years of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse — the effects of which persist in their adult lives. We Were Children gives voice to a national tragedy and demonstrates the incredible resilience of the human spirit. (83-minute run time) 

Hi-Ho Mistahey! 14-year-old Shannen Koostachin launched a campaign in 2008 to build a suitable school for the children of the Cree community of Attawapiskat. Two years later, she was killed in a car accident. Shannen’s campaign became a national movement, bringing people from all walks of life together to make Shannen’s Dream — the dream of fairness in education for First Nations children in safe and welcoming schools — a reality. (99-minute run time) 

Education 

Missing Children of Indian Residential Schools is a story map that uses data collected from the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement (IRSSA), the TRC, and the geographic information system (GIS) to provide a visual representation of the 139 Indian Residential School locations across Canada and document the search for missing children from those schools.

Every Child Matters (English-French) reading list from GoodMinds.com.

Programs and Initiatives from the Toronto Public Library.

EVENTS